Latest news with #LifeWithoutBarriers
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Are we doing enough to tackle forced marriage in Australia?
Being forced to marry someone against your will is a crime in Australia, but one support service says its getting more than five people contacting them each week who are at risk of or in a forced marriage . The practice was outlawed in Australia in 2013 but so far only one person, a 48 year old woman from regional Victoria, has been convicted under the law. So is criminalisation the right approach or do we need to be looking at other solutions? GUEST: Panos Massouris, director of the forced marriage support program, Life without Barriers Nesreen Bottriell, CEO, Australian Muslim Women's Centre for Human Rights
Daily Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Daily Telegraph
NSW state care: Shocking claims emerge of drug use, neglect
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News. Shocking claims of a girl injecting her knee with ice on multiple occasions and other serious incidents of disturbing behaviour have prompted calls for more oversight of children living in state care. Multiple sources, including former Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) workers, say the NSW's residential care system is 'broken', with serious allegations of vulnerable children and young teens being neglected and 'spiralling out of control' due to excessive drug use and criminality. The claims have been levelled against organisations including social services charity Life Without Barriers (LWB) and Marist180 Youth care. A former DCJ worker, who worked in the west for more than five years, said they witnessed 'horrific neglect' at a Marist home between 2022 and 2023, including a 13-year-old girl who almost 'lost her leg' due to injecting unsanitary needles into her knee. 'She refused to go to hospital … so DCJ staff encouraged workers to urgently take her to hospital and she ended up having four to five surgeries as the infection was deep.' Sources say children are facing neglect and taking illicit drugs in state care. The source said the same girl had absconded on several occasions, with DCJ receiving reports of her being preyed upon by older men and coerced into having sex with them. 'These young people are the most vulnerable and at-risk in the state.' The former DCJ worker said the girl was moved to another residential care facility in the area to 'protect her' from further harm. But a spokesman for Marist180 said the organisation rejected the claims. 'We fully co-operate with the Department of Communities and Justice as well as the Office of the Children's Guardian to review any matters raised,' he said. A former Life Without Barriers staff member also alleges the charity employed a male residential care worker with a criminal history without doing 'proper background checks' in 2023. 'He took the kids on a joy ride and he was driving dangerously. This scared the kids so much that they asked to get out the vehicle,' the former staff member said. 'The police then found him passed out in his car under the influence of substances. He was meant to be looking after kids at the residence. 'LWB ended up realising the worker had a criminal history as long as your arm. It's a huge oversight and failure on their behalf.' Sources also said there were serious incidents between 2022 and 2023, when children continuously absconded residential care and ran amok. 'They were just spiralling out of control,' one source said. 'The children had lit a fire at Kmart in Dubbo, causing the whole shopping centre to be evacuated and they had also lit fires in the local Orange school.' Multiple sources say NSW's residential care system is 'broken'. Another former DCJ worker said the system was 'broken' and called on the NSW state government to urgently step in. 'The cycle of children facing great harms including death will continue if staffing and other issues aren't fixed,' they said. 'There are staffing issues with one staff member and four high needs kids under their watch.' Child protection advocate Mel James said: 'As (Families and Communities Minister Kate Washington) continues to say that she inherited a broken system, it appears her public comments that this is a system set up to support itself is in fact true.'A spokeswoman from Life Without Barriers said: 'All staff employed by LWB are mandated to undertake a criminal record check prior to employment.' 'Any staff member found to have harmed a child no longer has the right to work for us and may face criminal charges,' she said. 'We have a zero tolerance approach to misconduct of this nature. We refer matters to the relevant authorities including the NSW Police Force, The Department of Communities and Justice and the NSW Ombudsman for investigation.' A Department of Communities and Justice spokeswoman said DCJ funded non-government service providers to deliver support and safety to vulnerable children and young people. 'We require all our providers to act in line with public expectations and in accordance with the terms of their contracts. DCJ continues to monitor non-government service providers to ensure they are meeting its contractual obligations to keep children safe,' she said. The spokeswoman said the NSW Government was undertaking significant reforms to the child protection system. 'DCJ acknowledges that accountability and critique is essential for statutory child protection and out-of-home care systems, and takes all complaints seriously. 'DCJ, however, strenuously objects to personal and identifying information about children and young people being shared in the public domain, where their consent has not been given.' Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email tips@
The Age
06-05-2025
- The Age
Jack's mother thought he was being looked after. He died desperate and alone
A spokesperson from Pathfinders said the organisation couldn't comment about specific clients. Children enrolled in the program received a 'structured, fully supervised 24/7 routine that includes education and pursuit of a young person's individual interests', and remained DCJ's responsibility. The spokesperson was unaware of any report from a child protection officer, and protocol was to call an ambulance and notify DCJ in case of a medical emergency. Neither DCJ nor Pathfinders responded to questions about Jack being found unresponsive. On his return to the central-west, Jack's care was outsourced to the multimillion-dollar social services charity Life Without Barriers. Other children stole his belongings there, and he was again not enrolled in school. National Disability Insurance Paperwork was never lodged. 'They wouldn't let him be a child,' Renee said. In 2022, the company's CEO, Claire Robbs, apologised after the Disability Royal Commission found the organisation had failed to prevent violence and abuse against residents in its group disability homes. In 2023-24, Life Without Barriers made $845 million in revenue and other income. According to financial documents, just $93 million was spent on service delivery costs. According to job advertisements, youth workers are paid $36 per hour and can be TAFE students with relevant work experience. Life Without Barriers declined to comment for this article. 'I'm not burying another child' When Jack moved in with Mick in late 2022, away from outsourced care, he started finding his feet. He began an apprenticeship and got a part-time job. Child protection caseworkers' assessments found his mother's former partner was 'totally dedicated to meeting all of Jack's needs,' noting the pair had a 'close bond'. Mick was assessed as a suitable permanent placement option for Jack. Mick quit his job, sold shares in his businesses for cash, and completed multiple parenting and child psychology courses while waiting to be approved as a specialist carer and permanent placement option for Jack, who required 24/7 care. However, payments he said Life Without Barriers and DCJ promised never arrived. Life Without Barriers denied ever making the promise but paid Mick a lump sum in January 2024 to recognise the 'unacceptable delay' in completing his assessment. One delay included a change made by DCJ to Jack's assessment needs, rendering Mick's application ineligible, only to reverse the decision months later. I'm not burying another child … Jack would have kept trying to kill himself without proper help. Mick Mick said the struggle of getting Jack regular funding support led to a deterioration in his mental health. Just days after Life Without Barriers acknowledged their failures, Jack attempted to take his life at Mick's home. Loading Mick, who found Jack after the attempt and called an ambulance, said he couldn't do it any more. Several years earlier, he had lost a son of his own in a car accident. 'I said, 'I'm not burying another child, '' Mick said. 'Jack would have kept trying to kill himself without proper help.' 'We'll be burying him within months' After more stints in motels and temporary accommodation, Jack moved into an apartment in Orange rented by Life Without Barriers, where he lived alone. Mick objected to Jack living in an apartment: 'I said if you move him into a home by himself, we'll be burying him within months,' Mick said. Renee wanted him at home. With minimal supervision, no school, TAFE, or structure, Jack spent his time on trains and on the street, sometimes staying with a friend in Sydney. [DCJ] are acting like my son had to die for them to learn a lesson. Renee The friend's mother, who spoke anonymously to protect her son, said Jack frequently arrived at her doorstep early in the morning from Orange. She suspected he spent the night at train stations. She said his clothes were often dirty, he didn't travel with a toothbrush, and he was living off credits for fast-food restaurants. 'DCJ and Life Without Barriers were enabling him,' she said. A body in the mountains Loading On his 18th birthday, Jack travelled to Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains. He sent videos to friends of himself sitting on the rock face playing music. He appeared to be alone. He died the day after that birthday, on October 31. Police discovered his body several days later. His death is not being treated as suspicious. A DCJ staff member not authorised to speak to the media questioned whether anyone from Life Without Barriers or DCJ had discussed that supports remained in place for children in the state's care after their 18th birthday or whether staff planned to celebrate Jack's milestone. Jack was farewelled at a ceremony attended by more than 100 friends and family who spoke of his loyalty, adventurousness and strong protective instincts. He is buried in the Orange cemetery. His grave, adorned with flowers, angel statues and a rubber chicken, reads 'Forever 18.' No coronial inquest has been announced into Jack's death to understand the failures that may have caused it. Mick said DCJ never contacted him after Jack's death. Renee said she has been told DCJ will review the case, but she won't be privy to the details and was told it won't lead to disciplinary action. 'They're acting like my son had to die for them to learn a lesson,' she said. Washington said: 'It is highly premature for a DCJ staff member to tell a grieving mother that there would be no disciplinary action while the department is still conducting an internal review of Jack's tragic death, and I apologise for the understandable distress this caused. 'The Minns Labor Government is undertaking significant reforms to the child protection system, focused on improving safety, lifting accountability, and providing stability for the vulnerable children and young people,' the minister for families and communities said. Renee visits Jack's grave daily.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Jack's mother thought he was being looked after. He died desperate and alone
A spokesperson from Pathfinders said the organisation couldn't comment about specific clients. Children enrolled in the program received a 'structured, fully supervised 24/7 routine that includes education and pursuit of a young person's individual interests', and remained DCJ's responsibility. The spokesperson was unaware of any report from a child protection officer, and protocol was to call an ambulance and notify DCJ in case of a medical emergency. Neither DCJ nor Pathfinders responded to questions about Jack being found unresponsive. On his return to the central-west, Jack's care was outsourced to the multimillion-dollar social services charity Life Without Barriers. Other children stole his belongings there, and he was again not enrolled in school. National Disability Insurance Paperwork was never lodged. 'They wouldn't let him be a child,' Renee said. In 2022, the company's CEO, Claire Robbs, apologised after the Disability Royal Commission found the organisation had failed to prevent violence and abuse against residents in its group disability homes. In 2023-24, Life Without Barriers made $845 million in revenue and other income. According to financial documents, just $93 million was spent on service delivery costs. According to job advertisements, youth workers are paid $36 per hour and can be TAFE students with relevant work experience. Life Without Barriers declined to comment for this article. 'I'm not burying another child' When Jack moved in with Mick in late 2022, away from outsourced care, he started finding his feet. He began an apprenticeship and got a part-time job. Child protection caseworkers' assessments found his mother's former partner was 'totally dedicated to meeting all of Jack's needs,' noting the pair had a 'close bond'. Mick was assessed as a suitable permanent placement option for Jack. Mick quit his job, sold shares in his businesses for cash, and completed multiple parenting and child psychology courses while waiting to be approved as a specialist carer and permanent placement option for Jack, who required 24/7 care. However, payments he said Life Without Barriers and DCJ promised never arrived. Life Without Barriers denied ever making the promise but paid Mick a lump sum in January 2024 to recognise the 'unacceptable delay' in completing his assessment. One delay included a change made by DCJ to Jack's assessment needs, rendering Mick's application ineligible, only to reverse the decision months later. I'm not burying another child … Jack would have kept trying to kill himself without proper help. Mick Mick said the struggle of getting Jack regular funding support led to a deterioration in his mental health. Just days after Life Without Barriers acknowledged their failures, Jack attempted to take his life at Mick's home. Loading Mick, who found Jack after the attempt and called an ambulance, said he couldn't do it any more. Several years earlier, he had lost a son of his own in a car accident. 'I said, 'I'm not burying another child, '' Mick said. 'Jack would have kept trying to kill himself without proper help.' 'We'll be burying him within months' After more stints in motels and temporary accommodation, Jack moved into an apartment in Orange rented by Life Without Barriers, where he lived alone. Mick objected to Jack living in an apartment: 'I said if you move him into a home by himself, we'll be burying him within months,' Mick said. Renee wanted him at home. With minimal supervision, no school, TAFE, or structure, Jack spent his time on trains and on the street, sometimes staying with a friend in Sydney. [DCJ] are acting like my son had to die for them to learn a lesson. Renee The friend's mother, who spoke anonymously to protect her son, said Jack frequently arrived at her doorstep early in the morning from Orange. She suspected he spent the night at train stations. She said his clothes were often dirty, he didn't travel with a toothbrush, and he was living off credits for fast-food restaurants. 'DCJ and Life Without Barriers were enabling him,' she said. A body in the mountains Loading On his 18th birthday, Jack travelled to Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains. He sent videos to friends of himself sitting on the rock face playing music. He appeared to be alone. He died the day after that birthday, on October 31. Police discovered his body several days later. His death is not being treated as suspicious. A DCJ staff member not authorised to speak to the media questioned whether anyone from Life Without Barriers or DCJ had discussed that supports remained in place for children in the state's care after their 18th birthday or whether staff planned to celebrate Jack's milestone. Jack was farewelled at a ceremony attended by more than 100 friends and family who spoke of his loyalty, adventurousness and strong protective instincts. He is buried in the Orange cemetery. His grave, adorned with flowers, angel statues and a rubber chicken, reads 'Forever 18.' No coronial inquest has been announced into Jack's death to understand the failures that may have caused it. Mick said DCJ never contacted him after Jack's death. Renee said she has been told DCJ will review the case, but she won't be privy to the details and was told it won't lead to disciplinary action. 'They're acting like my son had to die for them to learn a lesson,' she said. Washington said: 'It is highly premature for a DCJ staff member to tell a grieving mother that there would be no disciplinary action while the department is still conducting an internal review of Jack's tragic death, and I apologise for the understandable distress this caused. 'The Minns Labor Government is undertaking significant reforms to the child protection system, focused on improving safety, lifting accountability, and providing stability for the vulnerable children and young people,' the minister for families and communities said. Renee visits Jack's grave daily.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Woolworths expands popular initiative, baby dies at daycare centre, 'unusual' operation off Aussie coast
Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live news blog this Thursday. Woolworths has expanded its 'Quiet Hour' to five days a week after successful trials. The initiative was first rolled out in 2019 to offer a low-sensory shopping experience for those with different needs. A baby has tragically died at a Melbourne daycare centre. Neighbours of the centre say the news is "sickening", with police not treating the incident as suspicious. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. The Australian government is continuing to monitor three Chinese warships off NSW's coastline, with Defence Minister Richard Marles calling their presence "unusual". Canberra and Beijing have repeatedly clashed over the presence of military vessels and aircraft in each others' waters and airspace in recent years. And while Marles said their operation was not a breach of international law, the government has "a right to be prudent" with their approach. "I instructed that we needed to have assets, our own frigates and air assets, making sure that we are watching every move that they take," he said. Australia has vowed to protect its people and democracy from harm after the nation's top spy chief laid bare security threats and cases of intimidation. At least three nations had conspired to harm people in Australia and at least four plotted coerced repatriations, where people in Australia are heavily pressured to return to their birth country, director-general Mike Burgess revealed in his annual threat assessment speech. Sabotage and espionage also remain major risks, Mr Burgess said, adding that one hostile nation was found to have constantly probed critical infrastructure to explore and exploit possible vulnerabilities or install malware to gain access in the future. The cases show the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and other agencies were working successfully to protect Australia, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said. "We will not tolerate the surveillance, harassment or intimidation of anyone, anywhere in Australia," he told ABC radio on Thursday. Read more here. Woolworths has expanded its Quiet Hour initiative to five days a week – a move that has been celebrated as a "fantastic" offering for people with different needs. Quiet hour was developed in consultation with disability service provider Life Without Barriers and launched in 2019 one day a week to meet the need in the community for a low-sensory shopping experience, Woolworths explains. 'The expansion of Quiet Hour at Woolworths from one to five week days is a fantastic initiative that recognises and is actively responding to different needs of many people in the community," Life Without Barriers Chief Executive Claire Robbs said. Quiet Hour runs from 10.30am to 11.30am every Monday to Friday in most stores nationally. During this hour, temporary changes are made to the store, including: Turning off bakery ovens or chicken cooker buzzers Reducing volume on store phones and registers on the trading floor Clearing store entry ways Reducing lighting and in store music Removing roll cages from the shop floor and; Stopping all PA announcements (excluding cases of emergencies) Neighbours have described their shock and horror at news of a baby's tragic death at a daycare centre in Melbourne's southeast. The tragedy drew a large police presence to the facility on Balinga Drive at Skye – about 48km from the Melbourne CBD – on Wednesday afternoon. Victoria Police said their investigation was ongoing but that the baby's death was not being treated as suspicious. 'Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the death of an infant at a family day care facility in Skye,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman said. The centre appeared to be open on Thursday morning, with a man was seen dropping off a child at about 8am. Only a handful of early morning walkers were spotted on Balinga Drive on Thursday morning, with limited traffic on the residential street. No emergency services were on scene as of 8.30am. A neighbour, who was out walking her dog with her baby, described the baby's death as a tragedy. 'It's quite sickening,' she said. 'We thought it was an older lady, and when we found out it was a baby it was just sickening.' Read more from NCA NewsWire here. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The Australian government is continuing to monitor three Chinese warships off NSW's coastline, with Defence Minister Richard Marles calling their presence "unusual". Canberra and Beijing have repeatedly clashed over the presence of military vessels and aircraft in each others' waters and airspace in recent years. And while Marles said their operation was not a breach of international law, the government has "a right to be prudent" with their approach. "I instructed that we needed to have assets, our own frigates and air assets, making sure that we are watching every move that they take," he said. Australia has vowed to protect its people and democracy from harm after the nation's top spy chief laid bare security threats and cases of intimidation. At least three nations had conspired to harm people in Australia and at least four plotted coerced repatriations, where people in Australia are heavily pressured to return to their birth country, director-general Mike Burgess revealed in his annual threat assessment speech. Sabotage and espionage also remain major risks, Mr Burgess said, adding that one hostile nation was found to have constantly probed critical infrastructure to explore and exploit possible vulnerabilities or install malware to gain access in the future. The cases show the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and other agencies were working successfully to protect Australia, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said. "We will not tolerate the surveillance, harassment or intimidation of anyone, anywhere in Australia," he told ABC radio on Thursday. Read more here. Woolworths has expanded its Quiet Hour initiative to five days a week – a move that has been celebrated as a "fantastic" offering for people with different needs. Quiet hour was developed in consultation with disability service provider Life Without Barriers and launched in 2019 one day a week to meet the need in the community for a low-sensory shopping experience, Woolworths explains. 'The expansion of Quiet Hour at Woolworths from one to five week days is a fantastic initiative that recognises and is actively responding to different needs of many people in the community," Life Without Barriers Chief Executive Claire Robbs said. Quiet Hour runs from 10.30am to 11.30am every Monday to Friday in most stores nationally. During this hour, temporary changes are made to the store, including: Turning off bakery ovens or chicken cooker buzzers Reducing volume on store phones and registers on the trading floor Clearing store entry ways Reducing lighting and in store music Removing roll cages from the shop floor and; Stopping all PA announcements (excluding cases of emergencies) Neighbours have described their shock and horror at news of a baby's tragic death at a daycare centre in Melbourne's southeast. The tragedy drew a large police presence to the facility on Balinga Drive at Skye – about 48km from the Melbourne CBD – on Wednesday afternoon. Victoria Police said their investigation was ongoing but that the baby's death was not being treated as suspicious. 'Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the death of an infant at a family day care facility in Skye,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman said. The centre appeared to be open on Thursday morning, with a man was seen dropping off a child at about 8am. Only a handful of early morning walkers were spotted on Balinga Drive on Thursday morning, with limited traffic on the residential street. No emergency services were on scene as of 8.30am. A neighbour, who was out walking her dog with her baby, described the baby's death as a tragedy. 'It's quite sickening,' she said. 'We thought it was an older lady, and when we found out it was a baby it was just sickening.' Read more from NCA NewsWire here.
